Red Bull EmSee: The Road to 8 Mile - San Francisco

Red Bull EmSee: The Road to 8 Mile is a freestyle rap battle of sight and sound, curated and directed by Eminem. The national battle series will make its second stop in San Francisco on Friday, July 16 and will feature top lyricists competing head-to-head for the honor of being named the illest freestyle MC on the West Coast.

This invitation-only competition has a unique format that challenges MCs to revive their true freestyle spirit. Building upon the traditional head-to-head battle by adding an innovative twist, MCs will be tested on the sickest flows they can create on the spot based on spontaneous cues--making it not only a battle against each other but also against the clock and the mind’s eye.

Each round will challenge MCs to be nimble, sharp and witty while dominating the stage. In round one, MCs will showcase their best flows over beats. In round two, their freestyle skills will be further challenged as they rap about themes that are texted to a screen by judges and the live audience. The third and final round is a head-to-head, a capella, take no prisoners battle-to-the-end.

Lyrical prowess during these rounds will advance the most skilled MC to the national finals in Detroit where the national champion will be determined by the one-and-only Eminem. The winning MC walks away with bragging rights and an opportunity to record with a headlining producer at Red Bull Studios.

“I’m looking for somebody to stand out, to be unique and to say the sickest, most ridiculous, most retarded s#%! you can say, something that makes somebody want to quit,” explained Eminem.

The three rounds will be judged by freestyle innovators Lyrics Born, Aceyalone (Project Blowed/Freestyle Fellowship) and Del the Funky Homosapien (Hieroglyphics), who will also give a special performance. The show will be co-hosted by MC Supernatural and D.R.E.S. Tha BEATnik. AmpLive (Zion I) will DJ and rock the beats for the participating MCs.